Clarke.] Report on Steam Caltivalioii. 293 



observe here, that we found the coulters set considerably back- 

 warder than the share-points, with a space about two fingers wide 

 between the end of the coulter and the top of the share. This, 

 according- to the engine-driver " Charles," who is a prize plough- 

 man, is the custom with horse-ploughs ; the interval making 

 way for small stones to escape wedging between the share and 

 coulter, while tearing off a portion of the slice from the land-side 

 makes the furrow turn better. But why are not the coulters on 

 this plough — as is commonly the case upon steam-ploughs — kept 

 relaid and sharp like the coulters on horse-ploughs ? Mr. 

 Pocock has exchanged the old groove-drums for a clip-drum, 

 and the small rope-drum for the onward motion along the head- 

 land has been replaced by an endless pitch-chain and toothed - 

 pinion, adjustable for tightening- up the chain. In this, Mr. 

 Pocock's own, contrivance the adjustment is effected somewhat 

 differently to Messrs. Aveling and Porter's patent arrangement. 

 The work which we saw in hand was being done by a home- 

 made cultivator, partly after Mr. Pocock's own design, and 

 partly upon the plan invented by Mr. Williams, of Baydon. 

 Nine tines are carried by three lever-frames, which rise and fall 

 like the coulter-levers of a drill ; and the carriage-frame to which 

 they are attached is fitted with two semicircular bows, or grooved 

 sweeps, which support and hold off the tail-rope to either side alter- 

 nately ; this implement being made to turn round at each end of 

 the field by means of the tail-rope pulling at one of these " bows." 

 The action is very easy, and there is a barrel with ratchet for 

 taking up " slack." The advantage, as compared with a balance- 

 cultivator, is in the lightness of framing in proportion to the 

 number of tines ; in fact, a balance-cultivator may be said to 

 consist of two cultivators set face to face. We understand that a 

 question raised as to this method of turning being an infringe- 

 ment of the Woolston " turn-bow " patent, ended in Mr. Smith's 

 presenting Mr. Pocock with a license. With the cultivator the 

 average performance per day is 16 acres ; that is, in cultivating 

 land previously tilled ; but generally it is steered so as to overlap 

 half its own work, thus giving " two tines " to the field at one 

 time, and so doing 8 acres per day. The 3-furrow plough, some- 

 times working a heavy drag-harrow alongside, averages 5 acres 

 per day. 



But in order that this work with a 10-horse engine may be 

 appreciated, Ave must name the character of the land. It is a 

 deep, solid, homogeneous clay, that used to take 3 horses to 

 plough a furrow 3 inches deep, and 4 horses to plough a furrow 

 4 inches deep : the steam work, however, is done some inches 

 deeper than either. 

 ^ What is the cost? Ordinary labourers get 10s. a week. But 



